Bulldozer construction



Feb 1941- H. SORENSE N BULLDOZER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheat -Sheet 1 Filed lay6, 1940 HAROLD .SoRE/VJEN \r ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 4, 1941 I H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,220,704 aonmozaaCONSTRUCTION Harold Sorensen, Knappa, Oreg.

Application May 6, 1940, Serial No. 333,583

4 Claims; (Cl. 37-144) My invention relates broadly to apparatus emit isdesired to mount the bulldozer frame and ployed for handling earth andanalogous mateblade onto the tractor oreimilar vehicle. rialsinroad andtrail building and clearing. The In addition to the above disadvantagesininvention has particular relation to scraper or herent in scraper orbulldozer blades and supbulldozer blades and supporting frames thereforporting frames therefor, there is the disadvanemployed in conjunctionwith and supported by a tage resulting from the lack of versatility ofthe tractor or similar vehicle for bulldozing, scrapscraper or bulldozerblades in performing the ing, side casting, leveling, back fi1ling,'anda. vaseveral functions ordinarily required to be perriety of otheroperations and functions required formed in the building and clearing ofroads and in the building. and clearing of roads and trails. trails. .1

A fingernail sketch of the features of the in- These foregoingdisadvantages are magnified vention and an explanation of its functionswith Particularly in logging D S. Whe e it s particular stress of itsimportance in logging opdesired to employ a tractor or similar vehicleerations is deemed advisable at this time. The and a scraper orbulldozer blade and support present structural characteristics ofscraper or frame t e t Often 118685881? to build 16 bulldozer blades andsupporting frames therefor or clear roads and trails in order to bring 8employed to perform the foregoing operations and out of the loggingarea. It is therefore essenfunctions admittedly perform the work withsome tial that a Scraper 0 bulldozer b a e d pmodicum of efficiency; butthe tractor and the Porting frame therefor be carried at all fi y 20bulldozer te d to b d fl t d d th causes the tractor or other vehiclewhich normally pulls 20 strain and excessive wear on both of them when a8 camerecause 01' the narrowness of the a single unit blade is employedto perform these roads 88 8 818981118 me curves various functions. Ithas been found advanand other Obstructions, Slwh a? St ps ds tageous toprovide a scraper or bulldozer blade lining the Side ffi 8811 8 r ad itis necessary made of t sections so t t it may d; to maintain the scraperor bulldozer blades and 26 iusted to a number of different positions inthe p rtin fra e er o a o y s P s e horizontal plane to perform thesevario ta k to the sides of the tractor. It is, therefore, withwithoutcausing deflection and undue stress and in the contemplation of yInvention to p ide a wear on the tractor or the bulldozer. However,Scrape! bulldozer blade having ch Structural so investigation has failedto disclose any bullcharacteristics a will permit a more versatile sodozers having scraper or bulldozer blades and angular fidlu ent thereofso that it will be supporting frames therefor which permit the possiblenot y to cast on it ide or to folding of the blades against the sides ofthe Carry the load forward and to perform a i y t t or similar vemcleinto a compact and of similar functions, but also to provide a bladeconvenient position when not in use. which may bepositmned- When in use,against Existing scraper or bulldozer blades normally the sldes of thetractor and which Gnomes extend for some distance beyond the sides ofthe disadvantages inherent in the present type the tractor or similarvehicle with which they of Scraper or bulldozer blade congtmcuon' I Thesalient feature of my invention is to proare associated. The massivenessof the bulldozer vide a scraper or bulldozer blade which can be 0 40 andthe extension of the blades beyond the sides readily adjusted tonumerous angular ens of the tractor interfere with the use of the inorder to erform a variety m for tractor or similar vehicle for otherwork. It is at the n m and clearing of roads and trans and p esenecessary o e o e t sc or bullwhich can be folded against the sides ofthe do r bla e n pp n fr me therefor, when vehicle to which theblade-cams frame is atit is desired to use the tractor or similarvehicle tached, when the blade is not in use and during for work notconnected with trail or road buildtransit of the vehicle from place toplace. ing or clearing. Because of the type of work It is an object ofmy invention to provide a which bulldozers are required to perform, theyare scraper or bulldozer blade which is adapted for 0 bulky andexceedingly heavy; and to remove the Scraping, bulldozlns. o e- Single Sde castscraper or bulldozer blades and supporting frame ing, leveling,back filling, and a variety of other therefor from the tractor orsimilar vehicle enoperations presently performed bya number of tailsconsiderable loss of time and eflort and single job-performing devices.creates additional expense for labor; and a like An equally importantobject of my invention loss of time, eifort and expense is entailed,when is to provide a blade-carrying frame secured to 5B and adjustablypositionable with respect to a tractor or similar vehicle which permitsnot only of its being raised, lowered or tilted relative to the tractoror similar vehicle, but also of the variable angular adjustment of itsblade.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a scraper orbulldozer blade consisting of a plurality of sections which may readilybe folded against the side of the tractor or vehicle with which it isassociated, when further use of the blade is not desired or when thetractor is in.

Still another object of my invention is to pro I vide means for firmlyholding the blade sections in their adjusted position to insure againstvariance in the depth and angle of cut during the operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a scraper orbulldozer blade and a supporting frame therefor which is adapted toperform an extensive range of functions, which is rugged inconstruction, easy to handle, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain,which reduces need for single job-performing implements, and. whichovercomes the disadvantages inherent in the present type of scraper orbulldozer blade construction.

The foregoing and other related objects are attainable by the bulldozerconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show butoneembodiment by which the invention maybe realized and which must' beexamined with reference to the following detailed descriptions. In theaccompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters areemployed throughout the several views to designate the same elements:

Figure 1 is a side view of the scraper or bulldozer blade andblade-supporting frame embodying the principles of my invention, showingtheir positions relative to a tractor and a log carrier, both fancifullyrepresented and shown in dotted line;

Figure 2 is a plan or top view of the scraper or bulldozer blade andsupporting frame therefor, showing the position of the blade, when theblade sections are in the same transverse plane ready 'for straightbulldozer work;

Figure 3 is a fragment of a side beam and a channel arm, showing thestructural characteristics thereof and the means employed for dis-Figure 5 is a plan or top view of the scraperor bulldozer blade andsupporting frame therefor, illustrating the position of the variousblade sections to perform left side casting.

Figure 6 is a plan or top view of the scraper I or bulldozer blade andsupporting frame therefor, illustrating the position of the variousblade sections to form a pocket for accumulating and carrying materialforward, commonly called drifting; and

Figure 7 is a plan or top view of the scraper or bulldozer blade andsupporting frame therefor, illustrating the position of the variousblade sections when being used for casting to both sides, or when theblade sections are folded against the sides when the bulldozer is not inuse and the vehicle is in transit, or is used for other type of work.

In Figure 1 a tractor is fancifully represented and shown in dotted lineand, since it is no part of the invention, except as the support for theblade-supporting frame, will be broadly designated by referencecharacter A for the purposes of the following description. Alsofancifully represented and shown in dotted line is a log carrier whosestructural characteristics are no part of the invention and which,therefore, will be generally designated by reference character B for thepurposes of the following description.

The broad structural characteristics of the invention may best be seenin Figure 2 which shows a blade-supporting frame, designated generallyby reference character C. This frame consists of side beams i and 2positioned on each side of the tractor A with their ends 3 and 4respectively positioned on the stub shafts 5 and 6 extending outwardlyfrom the sides of the tractor A, thus forming a movable joint betweenthe beams and the tractor, so that the frame may be raised or loweredrelative to the tractor as the occasion demands. The stub shafts aresecurely and rigidly held to the sides of the tractor and are adapted toresist the rearward thrust occasioned by the work performed by thebulldozer. The raising and lowering of the frame may be accomplished byany means, such as, for purposes of illustration, 3 cable I which issecured to an eye 8 connected to the frame C.

Secured to, or made an integral part of beam I is an inwardly andforwardly inclined beam extension 9. A similarly inclined beam extensionI0 is secured to or made an integral part of beam 2. Both of these beamextensions connect tobr are integrally joined to a transverselypositioned cross or front beam or "nose" portion ll. These variouslydescribed elements form approximately the U-shaped frame C which carriesthe blade, hereafter to be described. The U- shaped frame C is ruggedlyconstructed and adequately reinforced to withstand the rearward thrustcaused by the action of the blade. Openings I2, l3 and I4 extend throughbeam l. Similar openings [5,; l6 and l'l are formed through beam 2.Theseopenings are respectively aligned with each other and are employedfor the function shortly tobe set out.

The scraper or bulldozer blade, designated broadly by referencecharacter D, is divided into a plurality of sections l8, l9 and 20. Thework- .ing faces of each of the blade sections, all exthe transversefront beam H. The central blade section I9 is secured to and isreinforced by front beam II, while wing blade sections I8 and havereinforcing ribs 22 and23 respectively secured to the backs thereof.Wing blade sections I8 and 20 are each movably secured to member II, sothat they may be moved forwardly or rearwardly. The typesof hingeemployed is best illustrated in Figure 4 which shows a pair of ears 24and 25 extended in spaced parallel relation to each other at one end ofthe reinforcing bar 23. An opening (not shown) is, formed adjacent andthrough the end 26 of front beam II.

Ears 24 and 25 fit over the end 26 of member II, so that the openings(not shown) in the ears are in direct alignment with the opening (notshown) in the cross beam II. A pin 21 passes through the openings (notshown) and is secured therein against unauthorized removal. An identicalhinge connection is provided for wing blade section I8 which itself ishinged in the same manner to the end 28 of front beamI I.

Channel arms 29 and 30 are removably secured to wing blade sectionsI8and 20 respectively and fit over and are slidably positioned andsecured to beams 2 and I respectively. This is accomplished by providingat one end of the arm 29 a pair of ears 3I and 32 and a similar pair ofears at one end of the arm 30. An opening (notshown) is formed throughand adjacent the end 33 of wing blade section I8 and a similar opening(not shown) is formed through and adjacent the end 34 of wing bladesection 29. The ears 3I and 32 fit over the reinforcing bars 22 and 23,so that the openings (not shown) in the ears 3| and 32 are in alignmentwith the openings (not shown) in the respective ends 33 and 34 ofreinforcing bars 22 and 23. Pins 35 the openings I2, I3 and I4 formed inbeam I and openings ',I5, I6 and I1 formed in beam 2, depending upon theposition which the wing blade sections I8 and 20 are to assume. If theopenings in the pairs of ears 31 are aligned with openings I3 and I6,the wing sections IB and 20 will assume the position shown in Figure 2;if the openings in the pairs of ears 31 are aligned with openings I2 andI1, the wing blade sections 18 and 20 will assume the position shown inFigure 5; if the openings. in the pairs of ears 31 are aligned withopenings I2 and I5, these wing blade sections will assume the positionshown in Figure 6; and if the opening in the pairs of ears 31 arealigned with openings I4 and II, the wing blade sections will assume theposition shown in Figure '1. Once the position of the wing blade"sections have been determined, the

f arms are secured to the beams and the wing sections are held in fixedposition.

The positions which the wing sections I8 and 20 assume with respect toeach other and to the I central blade section I9 are controllable onlyby the number of openings formed in the beams I and 2 which, in thedrawings, are shown as three in number for each beam.

It should be pointed out that, when a bulldozer embodying the foregoingconstruction is attached to a tractor which is engaged in arch logging,it possesses more effective maneuverability in close quarters.Furthermore, a scraper or bulldozer blade and supporting frame thereforof the type illustrated and described is admirably adapted to clearpaths for the tractor without creating too heavy a load on the tractoritself, since its primary function is to remove logs from the loggingarea. When the blades are positioned as shown in Figure 7, they arehelpful in acting asa wedge for the-tractor in its travel through areaswhere logs are lying too close together and also assists in steering thetractor away from obstructions, since the folded wings would not becomesnagged in stumps and other obstructive matter normally found in loggingareas.

From the foregoing description, it will undoubtedly appear that theinvention as described satisfies the objects and points out theadvantages claimed for this inv ntion. While the invention has beendescribed in connection with a specific embodiment, it should beunderstood that variants thereof are possible to those skilled in theart. The invention,'-therefore, in its broader aspect, is not limited tothe specific construction herein shown and described, since changes andalterations may be made in the proportions and arrangements of thevarious parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and upon which Idesire to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described including a tractor or similarvehicle, an approximately U-shaped frame pivotally connected to saidtractor or similar vehicle, said frame comprising a pair of side beamsdisposed on each side of the vehicle and extending forwardly thereof,inwardly and forwardly inclined beam extensions joined to said beams anda transverse front'beam joining said beam extensions to each other, ascraper or bulldozer blade connected to said frame, said bladecomprising a central section secured to the transverse front beam and apair of wing sections hingedly secured to said transverse front beam andpositioned on each end of said. central section, said wing sectionsbeing so hinged .to said transverse front beam that they may be swungforwardly or rearwardly independent of each other, and means secured tosaid wing sections and positionable upon the side beams of said frameadapted to control the position of each of said wing sections relativeto the frame and to the central section of said blade.

2. In a device of the class described including a tractor or similarvehicle, an approximately" U-shaped frame pivotally connected to saidtractor or similar vehicle, sald frame comprising a pair of side beamsdisposed on each side of the vehicle and extending forwardly thereof,inwardly and forwardly inclined beam extensions joined to said beams anda transverse front beam joining said beam extensions to each other, ascraper or bulldozen blade connected to said frame, said bladecomprising a central section secured to the transverse front beam and apair of wing sections hingedly secured to said transverse front beam andpositioned on each end of said central section, said'wing sections beingso hinged to said transverse front beam that they may be swung forwardlyor rearwardly independent of each other, and channel arms secured tosaid wing sections, said arms having sliding, adjustable connection withthe side beams of said frames whereby the wing sections of said blademay be tractor or similar vehicle, an approximately U- tion, said wingsections being so hinged to said,

shaped frame pivotally connected to said tractor comprising a centralsection secured tothe transverse front beam and a, pair of wing sectionshingedly secured to said transverse frontbeam and positioned on each endof said central sectransverse front-beam that they may be swungforwardly or rearwardly independent of each other,'means securedto saidwing sections and positionable upon the side beams of said frame adaptedto control the position of each of said wing sections relative to theframe and to the .central section of said blade, and "means for lockingsaid first-mentioned means to said frame adapted to'rigidly hold saidwing sections at the predetermined positions. at

4. In a device of the class described including adjusted to a pluralityof working positions.

3. In a device of the, class described including a a tractor or similarvehicle, an approximately U -shaped frame pivotally connected to saidtractor or similar vehicle, said frame comprising a pair of side beamsdisposed on each side of the vehicle and extending forwardly thereof,inwardly and forwardly inclined beam extensions joined 'tosaid'beams anda transverse front beam joining said beam extensions to each other, ascraper or bulldozer blade connected to said frame, said bladecomprising a central section secured to the transverse front beamand apair of wing sections hingedly secured to said transverse front 'beamand positioned on each end of said central section, said wing sectionsbeing so hinged to said transverse front beam that they may be swungforwardly or rearwardly independent of each other, channel armssecnredto said wing sections, said arms having sliding, adjustable connectionwith the sidebeams of'said frames whereby the wing sections of saidblade may be adjusted to aplural'ity of working positions, and means foradjustablysecuring said channel arms to the side beams of said frameadapted to rigidly hold saidwing sections in any one of the plurality ofworking predeterminedpositions.

HAROLD SORENSEN.

